Love the Strong Man
by The Chinchilla
Summary: [oneshot][LuNa] Lessons in love can be difficult. Especially if your teacher knows nothing on the subject.


Another LuNa fic to practice my writing skills. This one I tried to make a little more humorous, I hope you don't mind. Yes, it is a bit long. But this is what fanfics are for. _Reading_.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of the original One Piece characters/ideas. I just own this story.

If you don't like the couple, don't read the story

This is set around after Usopp joins. There's no Sanji yet.

* * *

It's easy to pinpoint a person who shows no love interest. It's one of those things that easily smacks you across the face once you get to know them; you walk into them everyday. It's hard to explain, but it's as though they don't have a care in the world; why would they let feelings of love get in their way? That is what makes them strong; they show no weakness. That's what pulls them away from the frail.

…

Or is it all a mask? Maybe that cheerful laughing and singing they perform everyday is just to hide their feelings from the world. Maybe deep down inside, there is this horrible, uncontrollable hunger in the pit of their stomachs that just screams to be held; to be loved. It's just…they don't know how to express those feelings so they ignore them. They take that screaming emotion and place it in a little box, hiding it under their pillows and hope it will stop aching soon.

…

Do they cry their lonely hearts to sleep?

---

"One!" His voice boomed across the vast, gleaming sea; that high pitched, seemingly child-like voice of his. If it hadn't been for the sudden shouting, one could have claimed that the sea was calm and near silent. A beautiful sight for all to gaze upon.

But no. He wouldn't have it.

"One!" a different voice this time followed soon after the first. This one, too, much child-like but deeper and more nasal. Its tone sounded more of a cheer rather than a shout. Soon the voice began to die within the horizon, the echoing slowly vanishing without a trace.

And all was silent once more.

Roronoa Zoro rested himself peacefully against the side of the vessel, hands resting comfortably behind his head. His eyes were shut tight as his mouth laid wide open, a strange grumble of a snore coming out of it. He twitched slightly, something small and insignificant causing him to stir but not wake up. If it wasn't making him bleed then it wasn't worth dealing with.

Hovering over the sleeping man in much delight sat the self-proclaimed king of pirates, Monkey D. Luffy. His eyes sparkled as he watched the man sleeping and his chest lifted up and down with every deep breath he took in. And yet, that wasn't the main attraction for the young man. Instead, the major interest was the swordsman's green hair that waved slightly to and fro from the small breezes they were receiving. It was like gold to him, only in hair form.

After staring into it, lost in its unknown glory, a swift movement was given and Luffy motioned his hand ever so carefully over Zoro's sleeping face. His fingers inching stealthy and steady towards the green strands.

Almost in an instant as his hand neared the slumbered head, with a rapid pluck the young man held a small lock of the green hair within his fingers.

"Two!" he then shouted suddenly, grinning wildly as he examined the piece of hair. Once more his thunder of a voice shook the silent sea. Turning around, Luffy faced his cohort who had been sitting silently next to him this whole time. He stared at him with eyes waiting for approval.

"Two!" Usopp cheered after the unspoken signal was given, holding what appeared to be a small fan to symbolize their victory. He waved it around violently then quickly placed it back down at his feet, waiting for Luffy to go back to work.

Meanwhile, sitting hunched over at a desk away in her chambers, was a certain navigator who had just lost all attention she had focused on her work. The sudden screaming that could deafen a small child had quickly grew on her last nerve and she even jumped violently at the sudden 'three!' that roared out from nowhere. Nami's papers soon found themselves flying this way and that within the air from her sudden actions, quickly causing the poor thing to groan.

She hastily threw open the door, now facing the outside world and the rays of the bright sun causing her to shield her gaze with her arm. Although shadowed now, it was easy to see her frightening glare from under the appendage as she stomped over to the three boys.

"What are you doing?" she attempted to yell, but ended up sighing her question.

"…Three?" Usopp, who had been too concerned about his game, peered over his shoulder and gawked at Nami as she caught him off guard. He could see very well that she was angry, her arm now back to her side, and he knew very well when Nami was angry that there was usually a price to pay.

With a pause, he began to think of a good excuse that would make her go away. Usopp quickly came up with the story of Zoro being sick and he and Luffy were merely trying to cure him. Then, of course, if he told her that, she'd become worried and try to see what was wrong with him. Oh dear, and then she'd she that nothing was truly wrong with him…and…and…

"It's our game!" Luffy interrupted Usopp's concerns as the young captain smiled at the navigator. Pointing at the sleeping Zoro, who was indeed still asleep despite all the noise, the boy went on. "We call it the 'How-Many-Hairs-Can-We-Pull-From-Zoro's-Head Game'."

"We're trying to see if we can make a bald spot," Usopp then added as he clear his throat and tried to act as comfortably as his captain did.

"Oh really now?" Nami arched an eyebrow as she examined all three men once more, softly approaching Zoro on tiptoe and in almost a blink of an eye grabbed a small strand of hair. She held it up in front of both Luffy and Usopp's faces and stuck out her tongue. "Four."

"Four…?" Usopp half-heartedly cheered, waving his fan. He wasn't really sure if Nami was really in the game or just teasing them about it and he quickly found himself pulling his fan back down and tilting his head.

"Now cut it out," the girl soon ordered, her hands on her hips after shaking the Zoro-hair from her grasp. "I'm trying to work on something important and the only thing you guys have done so far is scream like dying animals."

Again there was a pause as Usopp looked at her and began to wonder why she was trying to order her way through. Obviously, Luffy was captain and when it came to pirates, ordering the captain around was certain death.

"Okey-doke," Luffy's smile never faded throughout the whole thing, and the young man quickly picked himself up. Patting his pants as to get off any grim that might have found its way onto him, he motioned for Usopp to do the same. "We can find another game to play."

"Uh, yeah sure. Okay.." Usopp lifted himself up, but couldn't help but stare back and forth between Luffy and Nami. For a captain he certainly took orders extremely well, or at least that's what Usopp thought as he was rather stunned by the captain's submissiveness.

"Good," Nami grinned, her hands finding themselves back at her side once more. With an elegant twist, she soon headed back for her work, her head filled with hopes that the crew would be quiet for the rest of the day.

Usopp continued to watch her walk away, his head filled with questions. His eyes held his confused expression and he quickly held his chin with a hand so it would help him think. Of course, his train of thought was soon smashed as Luffy quickly grabbed his shoulder and dragged him along so they could find something else to do.

"_I'll ask later_"he thought as Luffy's strength was something he didn't want to fight against, and he quickly began to follow rather than be dragged and grinned at the idea of a new game.

"Wanna play the 'Let's-See-How-Many-Things-I-Can-Fit-In-My-Mouth Game'?" Luffy asked as the two continued to head for their new destination on the ship.

---

The sun was soon setting in the sky as the Going Merry continued on its happy way. It would be soon that the vessel would reach her destination in about a day or so as the large island was slowly coming into view.

This island was a very important one, too, or so the crew told themselves. Not only did it have great supplies, but it was also very commercialized and filled with attractions for the whole crew to enjoy.

Best of all, pirates were welcomed.

Nami had told them all about it, which seemed to excite them all, especially the young captain whose inner child liked the description the woman gave. She explained that the island was called Carval, and although that name sounded dull and boring, the place itself surely wasn't. The place was like a huge playground, filled with colorful buildings, merchandise, and inhabitants. She happily claimed there always seems to be people dancing in the streets and the music always plays its cheerful melody. A true dream land so to speak.

"I suppose next you'd tell us the streets are paved with gold," Zoro would tease as Luffy and Usopp danced about merrily after they heard the account. It was almost as if they were practicing for the playing they would perform.

"You'll see when we get there," Nami grinned, wishing herself that the streets were really gold. In all honesty, her only motive for going to Carval was to snatch its income. An intensely commercialized island such as itself must be loaded with people with heavy pockets.

However that all happened a couple days ago and the crew still had high hopes for the playground island. But the wait of getting there was still in play, the sun almost set. After all the fun games Luffy and Usopp had made up all day, the two rested, starring off at sea and eating rice balls that they have found hidden in supply. Nami had set off to bed early, as did Zoro. It seemed as though the two rather sleep now so they could wake to a party sooner.

Usopp said nothing to disturb the silence, his only actions being the large bites he would take from his snack. Looking over at Luffy, he found it odd how silent he was as he chewed his food down too, his misplaced silence almost eerie. It was then when Usopp remembered he had a very important question to ask his captain and he better do it quick before he forgets.

"Say Luffy," he asked after swallowing the last of his treat. "Can I ask you something?"

"Go for it," Luffy attempted to say with a mouthful of food.

Usopp blinked at the gurgled words before going on, "I know you're captain and all—"

"You can't be captain," Luffy interrupted, his mouth still full of the rice ball.

"That's not what I was gonna ask!—never mind—Listen! I just wanted to let you know that I've noticed you sure take a lot of orders from Nami—even really small ones—but you never do anything Zoro asks, let alone me. So what gives?"

Soon after Usopp finished speaking, the young captain quickly choked on whatever food that was still within his mouth, coughing hard and pounding on his chest as if to dislodge the rice from his throat. His eyes were large, his face turned red, but he quickly managed to cough up the food and wipe away anything that got on his face.

Luffy was embarrassed.

"You're just crazy," was all he had to say soon after his stunt, a false smile crept upon his face. "I'm captain; I take orders from no one."

"Except Nami…" Usopp pointed out blankly which greatly caught Luffy off guard and off balance, causing him to practically fall over.

"Let's just drop it," the captain suggested as soon as he picked himself back up. He looked away from Usopp then, avoiding eye contact as to not rile up the question once more.

It didn't work.

"Just tell me and I'll leave it alone," Usopp pushed, trying to look Luffy in the face but failed to the captain's persistence to not make eye contact. An idea then hit him which easily broke the resistance. "If you don't wanna, I could just always ask Nami."

A horrible, cold shiver walked through Luffy's spine as Usopp proposed his solution, and the young man found himself trying to explain himself.

"Alright, I'll tell you," he looked at Usopp with a face filled with a serious expression. "Can you keep a secret?"

"As best as I can," Usopp blinked. The severe expression he was receiving from Luffy threw him off guard for just a second.

"Okay then," the captain sighed. He quickly glanced over his shoulder several times, as if trying to check if the coast was clear. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure! What's gotten into you?"

"Well…um…I...sorta..." Luffy began, seeing as though he noticed he wasn't being too trustful of his friend. However, he looked down and his voice was hushed and uneasy as he went on. "…maybe…kinda….like….Nami…"

An unnatural silence was held between the two as Usopp tried to soak Luffy's mumbles in.

"Like?" Usopp then repeated. "As in…'like' like?"

Luffy nodded, almost ashamed.

"Hmm," and without hesitation, Usopp broke into a healthy fit of laughter, grabbing his gut and slapping the side of the ship he was resting upon earlier. He couldn't help it, despite the confused look he was receiving from his captain.

"What's so funny?" Luffy pouted, his head held at a tilt as he had tried very hard not to be comical in his confession.

"Nothing Luffy. Nothing," Usopp attempted to calm down and wiped away the tears that managed to escape from his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he continued, "It's just I never expected you to take a love interest."

"Now what makes you say that?" No longer confused or upset, the young captain found himself angry at the situation. If he didn't know better, he'd think he was being insulted. "I love lots of things! Like food, music, and meat!"

"And Nami!" Usopp burst out again, falling over and landing on his side. Once more he couldn't help but laugh at the whole thing.

"Shh! Usopp! You're yelling! She'll hear you!"

"You're yelling too!"

"Shhut up!"

In truth, Nami did wake up to a horrible shrieking noise, in her amazement this being Usopp and Luffy. She stared out, the sun completely set as the two young men continued to giggle. Or rather, Usopp continued to giggle and Luffy yelled at him continuously to stop. Not wanting to intrude, Nami hid herself, a hand on her nightgown and her eyes filled with curiosity.

"I swear Usopp, if anyone finds out because of you…I'm gonna…" Luffy paused, not really sure how to threaten a friend. "…do something you won't like!"

"Then I'll just tell Nami!" Usopp chuckled.

Nami jumped just a bit as she heard her name. She was hooked on the conversation more than ever now and a sly smile crept across her face.

"Please Usopp, no," Luffy pleaded, his voice finally calm and rested. Perhaps if he tried a different approach to this all, then he would stop teasing him.

"No worries Luffy," Usopp walked over to his friend, calmed and pleasant, patting him softly on the back. "I was just kidding. It's funny is all. But I don't see why you won't tell her. I never figured you as the type who hid their feelings."

"It's just weird," the captain tried to explain. He seemed disillusioned by the conversation after spilling his feelings. Usopp was right, he wasn't one to do that. "I just don't know how to tell her…I have no idea what girls like or how to talk to them or anything!"

Nami couldn't believe what she was hearing, but wasn't exactly sure whom they were speaking of. From what she gathered, it was her, but there was that slight chance she was off. She peered in closer, her eyes sparkled. Could it be that she didn't know her captain as well as she thought she did?

"Is that all?" Usopp's voice interrupted Nami's train of thought as she continued to listen in. "Luffy, do you know how lucky you are to know me?"

"Yes," the captain grinned.

"Well good, because it just so happens that you're speaking to a love expert here," Nami almost fell over in a rage of laughter after that last line from Usopp. However, she had to stay silent in order to listen and stay hidden. She heard him continue, "I've written many books on the subject of love, indeed. Hell, what did you think I was doing most of the time when I would visit Kaya?"

"I would have never guessed!" Luffy seemed amazed despite the obvious fact that Usopp was lying to him. "You gotta teach me!"

"Wait, what?" Usopp felt his hands being grabbed as he soon found Luffy in front of him on his knees. The captain held his hands tightly, looking up at him with teary eyes.

"Please! Teach me what to do!"

"Gah—you…want _me_ to…._teach_…you about…_love_?" the young man had a very hard time uttering his sentence as his captain was practically begging for his advice. Although it gave Usopp a wonderful ego boost, he didn't know much about wooing woman himself.

"Please be my love teacher!" Luffy repeated, still on the ground.

"Yeah, sure…okay," Usopp attempted to sound confident. "I'll teach you everything at Carval. That's the first rule ya know."

"The first rule for what?" letting go of Usopp's hands, Luffy blinked and stood himself back up.

"What do you mean 'for what'? It's the first rule for love!" Usopp attempted to explain. He then went on and tried to sound as if he were reciting something from a book. "'Always woo your woman in a really neat place.'"

"How many books have you written?" suspicious, Luffy asked. He arched an eyebrow and finally began to wonder if Usopp was being truthful.

"Forty-seven," Usopp stated very matter-of-factly.

"Alright then it's settled!" the captain rejoiced and shook Usopp's hand as if settling a deal. "Once we get to Carval, you must teach me everything you know. Everything!"

"Everything?" the new teacher repeated hesitantly.

"Yes. Everything," and with that said, Luffy patted Usopp on the back, as if to give thanks. With a mighty yawn, he then suggested to his friend that they should head to bed if they were going to get any work done tomorrow.

With that, they were off.

Nami giggled at the whole thing, her successful hiding made her learn many new things about her crew. It almost made her feel bad about how she really didn't plan on staying with them long.

Pity.

"Nami? What are you doing out?" the sudden voice of Zoro caught the girl off guard, jumping and barely letting out a small scream. She settled herself smoothly, however, to hide her shock. With a graceful smile, she stared within the swordsman's eyes and laughed nervously as she tried to think up an excuse as to why she was out of bed. With a sigh, she let go of her guard as the pungent scent of alcohol surrounded her crewmate, the lingering smell giving her a sly smile.

He was drinking.

"I could be asking you the same thing," she laughed, poking him in the chest.

"Couldn't sleep," Zoro answered, looking at the stars a smiling. "Even I can get excited about things."

"Were you drinking?" Nami asked stupidly, just to keep up the conversation.

"Yes. But just a little," was his only reply.

"Hey Zoro, you think I could ask you something?" the girl grinned, holding her hands behind her back. She wanted to use Zoro's slight intoxication to her advantage. Maybe she could get answers.

"I guess so," Zoro blinked, rubbing the back of his head. "But aren't you cold in just your nightgown? I thought you went to bed."

"Couldn't sleep either; just listen," she didn't want to get off track and frowned. "This is really important Zoro."

"Fine then."

"Do you think Luffy likes me?"

The sudden question completely caught Zoro off guard as he opened to a small fit of laughter. Nami wasn't sure, however, if that was the grog or his real reaction.

"Now what makes you ask something like that?" the large man asked, calming himself quickly.

"Just wondering."

"Now listen Nami," he patted her on the shoulder and gave her a 'please don't take this too hard' smile. "I don't want you to get your hopes up or anything, but you see Luffy isn't the type of guy to fall in love. Unless of course you're some sort of large sandwich."

Zoro seemed to find humor in his own joke and laughed out once more. Again, he patted Nami on the shoulder and suggested she go back to bed. They had a big day tomorrow.

"I see," Nami frowned as she headed back to her quarters. "You sure?"

"Of course. I've been with the guy longest. No doubts here," and with that, he was off to whatever a Zoro does in the night, his small chuckles echoing in the air.

"Of course," the sly smile crept once more on the girl's face as she continued on her way. "We'll just have to wait and see."

---

Carval was indeed a place of merriment, just as the navigator described. As soon as the small crew docked their ship, they were instantly greeted by the inhabitants. Large smiles constantly filled the area.

The place was a colorful display; the buildings were of a bright, but easy on the eyes, shades of whites as colorful streamers of reds, yellows, and greens flooded the scene. Posters hanged on walls and flew from the sky; colorful inflated balloon monsters floated mindlessly above the people.

There was singing.

There was dancing.

There were love lessons.

Luffy and his crew stared out at the city; their eyes sparkled as they gazed upon it all. Just like Nami had said; it was beautiful.

"So now that we're here, what now?" Zoro was the first to break the silence between them. His arms held cross over his chest and his gaze was stern.

"Well, I guess you boys could go off and play," Nami suggested. Luckily for her, Zoro's voice broke her hypnotized state. "I really have something I need to do here."

And with that, she was off. Her bright orange head quickly got lost within the colorful crowd. The three men watched as she vanish.

No one tried to stop her.

"I knew she was up to something," Zoro mumbled under his breath. He found it odd from the beginning that Nami would want to come to such a place for no reason other than to 'have fun'. She must be planning something. With a sigh, however, he let it go for now. Instead, he turned to his friends and grinned, "So guys, what do you want to do first?"

"Actually Zoro, me and Usopp have something we need to do," Luffy uneasily told his friend as he tugged on Usopp's shoulder to signal him to play along.

"Well why can't I come?" annoyed, Zoro asked. He cocked an eyebrow, wondering if they, too, had a scheme of their own.

"I have no idea," Usopp answered, but was then kicked hard by Luffy. As if in that second, Usopp had remembered the deal he made with the captain. He was beginning to regret it. "OH! Wait, yeah. You can't come."

"See?" the young captain nodded as if Usopp's 'you can't come' was the best proof of 'no Zoro's allowed' ever. "Now run along. We're going to…uh…buy you a present!"

"Oh really?" Zoro frowned.

"Yes. Really."

"Okay, whatever," the large man shrugged and let out a half hearted groan. Zoro then turned away from them, leaving the two behind. He didn't want to bother with their idiotic reasoning and let them have their way...for now. There was no way he was going to be left out of something so easily, though. He'll find out eventually.

Soon, Zoro too was eaten by the crowd, silent with no troubles, and no one did anything to stop him.

"Wow he's gone!" Luffy exclaimed, shaking Usopp violently from his excitement. "We can do this! We can really do this!"

"Please stop shaking me…" Usopp didn't seem as excited as his associate and was soon released after his request. "Luffy, I really don't think—"

"What's the next rule?" Luffy interrupted excitedly and grinned at his teacher with the eagerness of a young child.

"The next rule?" Usopp blinked and then sighed seeing as he had no true way of getting out of this. "The next rule is…um…rule number twelve…er… 'Dress to impress'."

"Oooh," the captain grinned from ear to ear at Usopp's pulled out from nowhere rule. "You don't say."

Luffy hastily grabbed Usopp by the arm and dragged him into the heart of Carval; now the monster eating them. His head shifted back and forth as he eyed for a clothing store in order to find some new garments to 'impress'. He ran past numerous colorful displays of both shops and people until finally, while releasing a rather loud 'ah ha!', Luffy found what he was looking for.

Throughout all of this, Usopp had been dragged, knocked into things or people, and banged into a number of metal waste cans.

"_Why did I agree to this?_"was his only thought during the entire thing.

"This look good?" Luffy chuckled at his chum and pointed at the colorful shop filled with garments and articles. He didn't even notice the pain his teacher was in.

"Looks fine to me," Usopp said rather stupidly, hiding the fact he didn't want to do this at all. "Why don't you go in and pick something out? I'll wait for you out here."

"You know I can't dress myself well," Luffy laughed at himself rather loudly, tugging on his friend's arm to have him follow once more. "You can pick out some nice clothes for me that Nami will like."

"Like I have a choice," the teacher faked a smile and was pulled within the heart of the store.

---

Luffy stared at himself within one of the clothing store's many mirrors and examined his new outfit. He grinned the whole time as he posed constantly in front of it. Usopp, who sat in a chair next to the mirror, looked at his so called student rather bored as it had been fifteen minutes since Luffy started playing in the mirror.

The new outfit wasn't really much, however. Simply a new shirt. The color, of course, had to be red as Luffy argued continuously with Usopp on how he wouldn't wear any other color. Only this shirt was also decorated with a floral design and had short sleeves that ripped at the end. Usopp also explained how Luffy should wear it unbuttoned; hence the captain's chest was perfectly visible.

"That's rule number fifty three," Usopp had told him. "Ladies love abs."

Of course, he just made that up, not really sure himself if it was true. True or not, though, it sure seemed to thrill Luffy as he didn't realize he could have wooed his navigator this whole time by just unbuttoning his shirt. How could he be so blind?

"Are you done yet?" Usopp yawned, waking from his half asleep nap. "You do know that rule thirty eight is 'ladies don't like guys who stare in the mirror too long' right?"

"Oh," Luffy paused his actions and stared apologetic towards the teacher. "Do you think she'll know?"

"Yes, she's magic that way," Usopp nodded, hoping his fib would get them out of the store sooner. "Now go pay for your shirt. Then we can get to the real lessons."

Almost in a salute, Luffy rushed off to pay for the shirt he already had on. Usopp watch as he did so, sighing at that fact that Luffy would have to take it off. Apparently the captain had never bought his own clothing before.

"Hang on Luffy," Usopp frowned as he trudged over with Luffy's old shirt in one arm.

---

"I have a good feeling about this!" Luffy proclaimed as he matched side by side next to Usopp. His head was filled with high hopes of all the nice things he would learn about women, love, and how to do it all correctly. Now with his new shirt, made for impressing, and his chest visible for all to see, the young captain had little doubt that anything could go wrong.

Usopp, on the other hand, was rather miserable. How he wanted to play and dance within the carnival city, but instead he found himself teaching a subject he knew very little about himself. And of course every time he tried to tell his student that this was all just a big story, Usopp found himself creating more lies and digging himself into a hole.

"_Just my luck_," was repeated often within his head.

"Look at all the posters," Luffy finally said something unrelated to his lessons and quickly eyeballed a rather large posted that was pasted on an entire side of a building. It pictured a very large man, muscle-bound and grinning. He bared no shirt but only his shorts and his rich chocolate colored hair seemed flawless.

"'The Rocket'", Usopp read out loud the large, yellow print that hanged above the picture of the man. "'The world's strongest man'. Hmm."

"I bet he gets a lot of girls seeing he has so many abs," Luffy pointed out from nowhere. He was simply using what he learned to the picture.

"You bet!" a voice from behind startled both captain and friend as they swiftly turned around to see one of the locals. A young female in a flowing, multicolored gown, and large brown eyes. Apparently she had overheard the tourists. "The Rocket is our main attraction. Almost every girl wants to get close to him."

"You don't say," Usopp took a good look at the young girl and grinned. "And is he really the strongest?"

"He sure is! I mean just look at him! He's huge!" she gave a playful grin and then winked at the two gentlemen. "And not just in posters."

"Pft. I can kick his ass," Luffy frowned, not believing a word of what he was hearing.

"I doubt it, sir," the young woman replied, shaking her head in a friendly manner. "Much more men who look stronger than you have said that countless times. Each one of them was brought down."

"Yeah yeah, sure," the displeased captain began to motion the girl away as he once more grabbed Usopp by the arm. "If you don't mind, we have important business to attend to."

"Uh, okay," with a surprised look, the young girl watched both Luffy and Usopp disappear into the vibrant crowds of people. Her head hanged at a tilt until finally someone dressed just as colorfully grabbed her by the arm and motioned her to return to the party. This was the first time she ever heard anyone wanting to do 'business' at Carval.

How weird.

---

Nami was having a blast being by her lonesome in the carnival city. Just as she had thought, the people were wealthy on income and they were too busy dancing to realize that she had snatched their wallets on her little stroll through the roads.

"_If I keep this up_," she thought to herself. "_I'll bypass my goal in no time_."

A smile grew on her face at the very thought, not to mention that she was stealing from other pirate tourists who found themselves there. She refused to take from locals despite how little they needed all that money they made. The pirates, however, were easier due to the fact that most of them were intoxicated and some even threw her a few bills just at the sight of her.

It was too easy.

It was too good to be true.

As if out of nowhere, Nami's happy little thoughts were quickly interrupted by a familiar voice. She paused, turning around to see a figure quickly approaching her.

"Hey! Hey Nami!" the voice of her captain echoed through the streets as the dancing people made way for the young man in a straw hat. Nami squinted slightly, and then almost jumped back to see that Luffy wasn't in his usual attire but rather a very fancy floral shirt and his chest bare and in plain view. In one arm, the young man waved a small box of some sort.

"Luffy!" the navigator exclaimed, trying hard not to break out in laughter. "What's this?"

Sliding to a stop, Luffy smiled and his eyes beamed. He held the box out to her and gave a small chuckle.

"This is for you," he motioned the box up and down. "It's a candy box."

That was the last thing Usopp had told him. The very next rule, rule number forty eight for that matter, was 'Girls like boxes of candy'. It didn't take long for Luffy to rush off and buy the prettiest box he could find as soon as his teacher told him.

"Wow Luffy," Nami blinked as she watched him wave the box in front of her. She blushed slightly, seeing as the two of them were still the center of attention from Luffy's screaming and she could hear people 'Aw'ing and 'Isn't that sweet?'ing.

Taking the box with many thanks, now believing more than ever that it was her Luffy and Usopp discussed that night ago, she undid the little ribbon that was wrapped around ever so daintily around her gift and opened the box to see the sweets awaiting her.

She paused, looking within the box and then back to Luffy. An angry look crawled on her face as she looked at the still smiling Luffy and then back to the box just to double check.

It was empty.

"Nice box, huh?" the captain boasted.

The only reply he was given was the sudden contact of the box to his face as Nami chucked it at him in fury and stomped off. The crowd turned away from them, almost silently, and went back to whatever they were doing.

--

"I just don't know what I did wrong," Luffy frowned as he returned to his teacher. Together, the two sat in a clean alley as to not get in the way of the partying crowed. The captain leaned against a wall, covered in posters picturing that damn 'The Rocket' once more.

"You're not supposed to give her just a box!" Usopp, who sat upon an old cardboard box and frowned. "Usually the girl enjoys the candies inside."

"They sure were good candies…" Luffy mumbled.

"Yeah, and they weren't for you."

"Well, what's the next rule?" not wanting to give up, the captain looked over hopeful towards his teacher. He gave a 'don't let me down now' smile and tried very hard to look as though he wouldn't mess this one up.

"We'll go with something you can't eat, I guess," Usopp thought out loud. "Or in your case, something you aren't supposed to eat. Yeah…rule number thirteen. 'Ladies like flowers'."

"Yeah! Of course!" eagerly, the captain bolted off again, leaving his teacher in the dust once more.

---

She wasn't sure if she was upset, surprised, or happy. Nami was glad to see that Luffy was buying her gifts, but who the hell buys an empty box for someone? It was written all over her face as to how angry…or displeased….or whatever she was feeling she was as the people stared at her blankly as she walked on by.

The girl soon entered the bazaar of Carval, small stands, flag poles, and more posters lined the streets from all around her. There was less dancing here as people were more interested in purchasing souvenirs than partying. This was good news for her, for that meant easy money.

"Stupid Luffy," she mumbled under her breath. Her anger was so blinding that she didn't even notice all the loose money she passed and opportunities she could have had.

"HEY THERE NAMI!" as if out of nowhere, Luffy appeared in front of her, hanging upside-down as his feet clinged to a large unused flagpole. In his hands was a large bouquet of multicolored flowers. They seemed to sparkle in the light of Carval.

"WHAT THE HELL!" Nami shrieked, completely off guard and pulling her arm back only to bring it within Luffy's gut, the blow and his unawareness causing him to be propelled into the air. She gasped, now seeing that it was Luffy she had sent flying and that he had yet another gift for her.

Usopp, who had been watching his student this time by roof top so he wasn't in the way, watched as Luffy spun within the air and faded into the distance.

"Nami is sure strong when she's scared," he murmured and his eyes followed Luffy's plummet to the ground. "And I really thought that flower thing would work…"

---

"Rule number sixty one, 'Ladies dig stalkers'," running out of things, Usopp told Luffy his new rule as they hid ever so carefully in the alleys once more. Only this time they kept their eyes on Nami as she walked her way deeper into Carval. It seemed the more she kept going, the less people there were.

"Are you sure?" Luffy questioned Usopp's stalking rule and frowned.

"How many books have I written?" Usopp spat in his defense. "And how many have _you_ written?"

"I'll be good…" the young captain pouted. "Look! She's moving! Let's go."

And with that, the two men hurried silently within the alleyways and kept their eyes on their subject.

Nami was not having as much fun as she thought she was. She now felt bad that she had attacked Luffy, especially seeing as he was offering her yet another gift; this one not looking eaten either. Her head hanged low, not aware of the two stalkers she had gained.

"It sure is quiet," she told herself. "How weird."

Although the area was still lined with attractions, they seemed old fashioned. Nami noted old restaurants that only appeared as landmarks now. Signs creaked slightly in the wind and the dull music from the other side of the city could still be heard. But what caught her interest most was an old machine stationed near the entrance of one of the dead restaurants.

"It's a fortune teller!" the girl laughed as she ran towards it. Her troubles vanished as her run turned into a prance and then a stop once she reached it. "I've always wanted to try one of these things."

"What do you think she's doing?" meanwhile, Luffy asked as the two watched the navigator silently. The captain had no idea what the machine was or why it excited her so.

"How should I know?" Usopp frowned. "Maybe she's buying a snack."

Digging through her pockets, Nami pulled out a small coin and placed it in the slot of the machine. Instantly, the metal monster shook just a bit and spat out nothing more than a small card. Taking it, Nami grinned and read it.

'Love the strong man'

"Hmm," the girl blinked, her smile fading. "What's that supposed to mean?"

With a flick of her wrist, she dropped the card and left it on the ground. In truth she found it a waste of money now. Why did she get so excited? With this, she returned to the heart of the city, hoping maybe she could find Luffy and apologize for hitting him.

As soon as she was out of sight, both Luffy and Usopp sprinted from their hiding place and hurried over towards the fallen card. Snatching it quickly and before his student could, Usopp held it tightly in front of him and read it aloud.

"'Love the strong man'," he recited and cocked his head at it. "Oh I get it! That was one of those fortune teller machines."

"What does 'love the strong man' mean? That doesn't seem much like a fortune," Luffy, who found himself on the ground due to missing that card, sat within the paved area and looked up at his teacher. "If anything, it sounds more like an advice machine."

"Usually these things have deeper meanings," Usopp attempted to explain, handing the card to Luffy so he could look at it. "'Man' could actually mean 'money' or 'happiness' or even 'pie'."

"'Love the strong pie'?" Luffy didn't understand.

"Gah, I'll explain later. But look! Nami's gone. We should get back to business," and with that said, Usopp helped his captain back to his feet and led him back into the alleys. As he was being dragged, Luffy stuffed the card into his pocket.

He didn't want to lose it.

---

The Rocket was a man known by all of the people of Carval. He was their hero, although why was unclear. Perhaps it was the way he looked. His body was large, bulging with muscle, which of course made him intimidating to anyone who tried to oppose him.

Even pirates.

His head, on the other hand, seemed misplace. It was slightly small, but beautiful. His hair was the purest of chocolate browns and his teeth seemed to sparkle while he smiled. This whole appearance made him the perfect celebrity.

But as celebrities go, attention was a must. In truth, The Rocket felt as though his reputation had fallen due to the decreasing numbers of The Rocket posters that trimmed his Carval. He had a plan, however, to keep his name up. A plan that could not fail.

This plan was simple. All he was to do was find a girl. Not any girl, though. Someone who doesn't live in Carval, someone who wasn't totally aware of who he was. If he could court said girl, his name wouldn't disappear from the Carval chatter.

And now, as he walked in public in the middle of his Carval streets and being followed by local fans, The Rocket searched for said someone and wouldn't rest until he did.

Meanwhile, a certain captain and his love teacher sat hidden in the alleys of Carval once more. Only this time they were placed in the heart of the party's alleys just as Nami was headed. There, Usopp paced back and forth, trying to think of what to do next seeing as all his ideas have ended in a flop.

Luffy, who sat annoyed, looked up at him. He was no longer dressed in his nice shirt but rather a tuxedo Usopp had told him to put on. He groaned when he was forced to, asking why he had to put it on seeing as the tux covered up his abs.

"It's another rule," the teacher explained to him. "'If abs don't work, try a tux'."

More than ever now was Luffy beginning to have his doubts, but Usopp was his friend. He was sure he wouldn't let him down. Especially for something so important.

"Do you have the box of candies?" the pacing Usopp asked, returning Luffy from his flashback. The young captain unhappily lifted up a box of chocolates and even lifted the cover just a bit to show him there was something inside this time.

"Good," his teacher nodded. "And the flowers?"

Luffy held up a bouquet even lovelier than his last.

"Stuffed toy?"

The captain, still holding a face of discontent, held up a stuffed monkey that held a little heart in its arms.

"I have everything," Luffy said. "That's the third time you've checked."

"I know, I know," Usopp's head was rattling. No longer did he want to be teacher. He was running out of rules and things to do. Soon, Luffy would have to find out he was lying.

Then an idea hit him.

"Say Luffy, mind if I ask you something?" the teacher gave a weak smile hoping to stall for time. "What got you interested in Nami in the first place?"

"Oh," Luffy blinked and then looked down at the ground. Despite how he tried to hide it, the young man was blushing and smiling just as weakly as his friend. "It's a weird story. Kinda stupid too. You sure you want to hear it?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," surprised at Luffy's bashfulness, Usopp gave out an understanding gaze.

"Well, it happened a long time ago actually," the captain began and lifted his stare back up. He tried his best to recall his memory. "Before you joined even. We were at this stop…a restaurant…and lemme tell you, I was really hungry.

So there we were, just the three of us. Zoro, Nami, and then me. I guess we were all really hungry because we ate everything brought to us. I think I even ate a plate or two. But anyway, there was one small slice of bread left and everyone was eyeballing it. Of course, I was and I wasn't about to lose that bread either. It was like we read each other's minds, though, because we all jumped for it at the same time. But I won in the end.

I was so happy that I didn't even notice the looks my crewmates were giving me. The thing was, however, I had already placed half the piece of bread in my mouth. The rest of it was sticking out. When I looked at Nami…she seemed really sad.

'Okay,' I said…or at least tried to say. Talking with a piece of bread in your mouth is really hard. 'You can have it.' So I reached my head over to her, the bread still in my mouth and all, and offered it to her.

She gave me this weird look at first, like I was crazy. It was then I realized that I was offering her food…that was sticking out of my mouth. I thought she was gonna hit me or something, but instead she did something else.

She started laughing.

Yeah, no big deal, Nami's laughed before. But you know, I think that was the first time I ever cared to _listen_ to her laugh. It was strange…it was so…pretty."

"And then what?" Usopp asked, totally forgetting he was supposed to be making up new rules. Instead he was lost in Luffy's tale.

"And then," Luffy grinned rather widely. "she said 'It's okay Luffy. You can have the bread'."

"I remember that," a voice soon called from behind the two gentlemen once Luffy had finished his story. Both Usopp and his student quickly looked to see standing in the shadowed part of the alley a rested Zoro. A small smirk was on his face as he leaned up against the wall. "I really wanted that bread too, you know."

"What the hell Zoro!" Luffy screamed and pointed at the once hidden swordsman. The captain's eyes were large due to both fear and embarrassment. "How long were you standing there?"

"Long enough," the large man answered, walking out from the shadows and still smiling. He looked at the assorted items Luffy had and tried very hard not to laugh. "Are those the 'presents' you told me you were getting me? What's with the tux?"

"They aren't for you," Luffy practically hissed.

"I know, I know," Zoro couldn't help but laugh this time. "Like I said, I was here long enough. I should have guessed you two were up to something."

"So you know?" the young captain frowned finding his secret becoming more and more public as the day went on.

"I think I do."

With a heavy sigh, Luffy picked himself up and looked at Zoro rather seriously. He tried to think of things to tell him; if he should explain how Usopp was teaching him. Instead, he dropped the idea and rather have his first mate figure it out for himself.

"Just don't tell anyone," the captain stated simply.

"Who am I going to tell?" Zoro blinked but didn't go any deeper into it. "You know, I was wondering why she was acting strange herself last night."

"Nami was acting weird?" Usopp finally chimed in.

"Yeah," the swordsman went on. "I think I was a little drunk, but I know for sure she asked me if I though Luffy liked her."

There was a pause as Luffy looked at Zoro in almost a state of disbelief.

"So what did you tell her? Why would she ask?" the captain seemed hesitant in his questions, but eagerly pressed them on his friend.

"Well," Zoro began, giving a face that read 'please don't get mad at me'. "I told her 'no'. I had no idea that you liked her—"

"You told her no?" the captain repeated as he interrupted Zoro.

"Well yeah. Like I said, I had no idea."

Luffy almost wanted to bang his head up against the wall of the alley, but instead, the sudden cheers from the crowd of partying people caught his attention.

"Looks like something big is going on," Usopp bluntly pointed out.

"As long as I can still see Nami, I don't really care," was the only response Luffy gave in return.

Nami, who watched the crowd get wilder within the minute, tried hard herself to figure out what was going on. She wasn't aware of the men who watched her ever so carefully within the hidden alley, but instead she stood on tiptoe trying to look over the crowd and see what the commotion was about. She failed, of course, as the crowd was just too tall.

"People! People please!" she heard a commanding, booming, yet gentle voice come from the center of the mess. "No need to get so jumpy. There's plenty of me for everyone."

This voice, of course, came from the infamous The Rocket. He tried ever so hard to get the people of Carval to just get away from him as they jumped and shrieked around him, bright smiles everywhere.

Nami soon watched the large man approach and couldn't help but let out a small, nervous laugh at the site. He certainly was…big. In fact, she was so dumbfounded by the whole event that it wasn't long until the bulging man bumped into her, completely knocking her down.

"He hit her!" Luffy cried from the alley, about to pounce but was automatically held back by both Usopp and Zoro. He struggled to get free, to help his friend, but his suit made things difficult to move in and his strength was about weakened. "Lemme go! I have to help her!"

"Luffy chill!" Zoro barked, struggling just as much to keep Luffy still. "It was an accident. She's fine."

Nami placed a hand on her forehead as she sat on the ground, completely unaware of what just happened. It seemed, however, that the crowd had calmed down and a large man stood in front of her.

She was now the center of attention.

"Oh dear," the muscle man cooed, offering a bulky hand to help the dainty thing he knocked down. "I'm terribly sorry—I…wait…may I ask where you're from?"

The girl blinked, taking the offered hand and lifting herself up, taking a good look at the stranger. With a tilt of her head she found herself lost in how bizarrely shaped this person was.

"I'm not from here," was her answer; her tone was uncaring and almost read 'leave me the hell alone'. She then added, "And I'm fine, thanks."

The Rocket grinned at Nami's answer, despite it being rather hateful. With a mighty laughter that almost sent the poor girl jumping out of her skin, he took a majestic bow and held tight to her hand as she was still grabbing onto his.

"My dear, it must have been fate for me to bump into you in such a way," his smile and eyes seemed to sparkle in unison. "Do you know who I am? I'm The Rocket and I pride myself as the world's strongest man."

Nami's innards jumped as she looked at him in total shock. Was it not the little card that told her to 'love the strong man'? Although she did not like the guy one bit, perhaps maybe her luck would grow if she stuck around with him.

"Oh how wonderful!" her voice was fake and it could be told she was acting if one knew her enough. "I never thought I would meet a celebrity here!...You are a celebrity right?"

"But of course," The Rocket beamed. "I just happen to be the wealthiest person here at Carval."

"Oh even more wonderful!" the navigator shrieked, clapping her hands and then holding them to her cheek. She knew very well she was acting ridiculous, especially in front of people, but this was for money. "But I'm sure someone as great and good looking as you must be taken. I should get on my way and—"

"Actually, ma'am, I'm very much available and—"

"Oh! You know how to tease a girl," Nami gave a devious grin. Nobody could read it, though. No one ever would. "I shouldn't be such a dreamer."

"But you see miss, what I'm trying to ask you," The Rocket tried very hard to stay humble. This girl…she seemed very odd. "is if you would give me the honor of courting you."

Nami squealed with delight, or rather a fake delight. The crowd seemingly doing the same as The Rocket proposed his offer. Clinging to one of his muscular arms, the navigator gave him the most innocent smile she could come up with.

"Take me with you," she tried to giggle. However, as soon as she grabbed onto him the thought of the pirates she had joined up with crept into her mind. Especially Luffy who was trying so hard to get her attention the whole day. It soon disappeared, though, for that card…that little fortune card told her to do this. She'd make lots of money this way.

Forget about the pirates.

The crowd cheered as The Rocket grinned at his new prize, soon taking her away to who knew where. Everyone seemed happy for happiness was the only feeling you could feel at Carval.

There was just one person who seemed to be the total opposite of happy. The young captain Luffy, whose friends tried ever so hard to keep him still, found himself in a blind fury. His eyes filled up with hate and a large growl crawled from his vocals.

"Luffy! Luffy please!" Usopp cried, seeing his captain in this state.

"Calm down!" Zoro tried his best to restrain the captain so.

No use. Luffy just about easily ripped apart from them and ran head on into the massive crowd. Their screams of shock to see such a young boy in such an unknown rage bounced all over the city.

He past by them blindly until he reached his target: the large, bulging man who had his navigator strapped to his arm. The captain ran in front of them, breathing heavily, the sudden sight of him making them stop in a state of puzzlement. The Rocket raised an eyebrow at this, wondering who this angry child was and why he was in a tuxedo.

"Luffy!" Nami cried out as she saw him in his rage. "W-what's wrong?"

"You!" Luffy screamed at the top of his lungs and pointed at the giant. "You are not the strongest man!"

"Pft, you think so?" The Rocket grinned seeing no threat in the stranger. "I beg to disagree."

"You don't even know her name!" Luffy's head must have been traveling all over the place as his shouts didn't seem to connect. As soon as he shouted that, however, Nami could feel herself grow guilty as she watched her captain.

"Oh, I see," the monster man grinned ever so slyly. "Did The Rocket just steal your sweetheart?"

Luffy's only reply was the heavy breathing he was giving off. He needed no words for that question.

"Tell you what tiny man," The Rocket never stopped grinning at Luffy. As if he was better than him or something. "If you can prove to me that I'm not the strongest I'll happily let go of the girl."

With a pause, Nami wasn't sure if she was to feel good about what The Rocket had just said or not. He wasn't treating her like property was he? Like some sort of trophy? Either way, she wanted to see Luffy's response and waited for it patiently.

"You better," the captain hissed; his eyes so clouded with hate that they appeared to be nothing but white. "Because if you don't, I'll make ya. I'll kick your ass."

A long pause was held between the three. Surprisingly no happy dancing Carval locals were there to watch. It was almost as Luffy's utter hate scared them off. The Rocket, however, tried very hard not to laugh at it.

"I like you tiny suit man," he grinned larger so he could be just a bit more intimidating. He then pointed at a large dome shaped building that had been sitting in the middle of Carval ever since. "You meet me there tomorrow morning and you can prove to me. Now if you don't mind, I have business to attend to."

There was no need for them to make it a deal; both men knew very well the other would be there. With a casual stroll, The Rocket walked passed his newfound rival with Nami still on his arm. The captain stared in a look of disbelief at her, almost hateful if he could hate her. It was when Nami looked back and mouthed 'I'm sorry' did Luffy's anger become sadness and he let the two continue on their way.

Luffy plummeted to the ground, sitting on his knees and looking at the sky under the brim of his straw hat. All that hard work, all those lessons and gifts and silly games, all of them were for nothing. He wanted to scream at the world, at his misfortune but that wasn't like him. He'd show that Rocket guy.

He'd make him pay.

Footsteps pounding against the pavement could be heard as Usopp's large shoes clunked against the street as he ran up to Luffy.

"What's wrong with you Luffy!" Usopp cried in almost disbelief. "Rule sixty four is 'DON'T CHALLENGE REALLY BIG PEOPLE'!"

"No more rules Usopp," Luffy forced himself to both smile and stand up. However, his once skyward gave fell to the ground. "Please, no more rules."

Usopp frowned at this, thinking that Luffy most likely believed him as a total fraud now. After all, the girl they were going after had just fallen into the arms of some commercialized scum. The ex-teacher felt as though Luffy must have been dealing with the worst feeling in the world. Right next to extreme pain.

Zoro was next to walk up, his hands in his pockets and a smile on his face. It looked as though he just came back from watching a great show.

"So Luffy," the swordsman chuckled. "Are you going make him bleed through his ears?"

"I'm gonna make him wish he never looked at Nami," was the captain's spiteful, yet surprisingly calm remark.

With that, the two others nodded in agreement to Luffy's reply.

With that they were off.

---

"Tell me, my dear, do you not love it?" The Rocket grinned at his girl as she walked around admiring his fancy mansion bedroom. It was made from nothing but the best. "And to think it is all yours as well."

Nami couldn't help but awe at the large, red room. The walls themselves were plush and silk like. She had no idea that such a beautiful mansion was in Carval and almost wanted to cry out how she wished to share this with her pirates.

If only such a lovely place didn't belong to such an ego maniac.

She pranced over to the large window that got a great view of the city. They towered above it, the height made her feel mighty. Nighttime Carval was so pretty to her as the buildings twinkled and the party still seemed to be going on. More than ever now she wondered what Luffy and his friends were doing. Did they still care about her?

"I see you are speechless my lovely," The Rocket cooed as he placed himself on the velvet bed that seemed stationed in the middle of the oversized room. In his hand was a large glass of red wine. "I understand. No need for being worried."

"Where do you keep your money?" was the first thing Nami said ever since she stepped foot into the mansion.

"My, aren't we silly," The Rocket took a sip of his wine and laughed at Nami's question. "I do not share my secrets so easily. Instead, I want you to tell me something."

The girl said nothing but awaited his question.

"Tell me," another sip of wine was taken. "Tell me about this 'Lumpy' person."

"You mean 'Luffy'?" Nami asked, almost annoyed with The Rocket's stupidity.

"How the hell should I know?"

"Well," just to piss him off, Nami acted very coldly. If he wasn't going to tell her where his money was, then she'd just play with him. "He's a lot stronger than he looks. He's most likely going to kill you."

The Rocket merely laughed and drank down the rest of his wine.

"See?" he chuckled and said in slurs. "This…this is why I like you! So much…fire…!"

The young girl ignored his comment and continued to stare out the window. She pressed her hand delicately against the glass, watching her sad expression through her reflection.

Why? Why did she feel so bad that she let Luffy down? That card, it said to go with the strong man. That guy, that guy she found herself hating every second. He will bring her good fortune. And then, when the time came, she'd take her riches and return home.

That's how the world works.

"Somebody save me," she whispered under her breath and took her hand away from the window that could only show a happy city.

"Well," The Rocket interrupted her thoughts with his intoxicated gurgles. "I'm heading off to _my_ room now. See you in the, uh, morning."

He got up sluggishly and headed for the door. With a smile, he looked at his new pet and happily turned the lights off on her. "Sweet dreams!"

The click was given, the door was closed, and Nami found herself in darkness.

"Someone take me far away."

---

The dome building was indeed a stadium. One that was filled that next morning and over crowding with people. The news spread like wildfire about the skinny little man who had challenged The Rocket over his newfound woman. No one was to miss such an event for so very few people ever dared to challenge their hero.

Luffy stood outside the building, his cohorts besides him. His usual attire this time was on him with the exception of a small towel he had grabbed and placed over his shoulders.

Seeing as everyone was in the dome building, the city of Carval was silent and without dancing. The streets were cleared, the shops were closed. That was something that happened once in a blue moon.

"You ready Luffy?" Zoro patted his friend on the back.

Luffy simply nodded in reply and marched on forward.

The Rocket was already inside the building, standing in the stadium's field and waiting impatiently for his challenger. Sitting in a chair close in on the action was Nami, a strand of hair twirled in her fingers as she was nervous and not at ease.

"He's late," The Rocket huffed as he held his arms crossed.

"You didn't set a time," Nami barked at his idiotic logic once more over the crowd.

Of course, her cries were for nothing. Even in a silent place her voice was directed to deaf ears.

Then, out of nowhere, the crowd cried even louder as three figures pushed their way through the center. Passing bystanders who had no seats and had to stand near the doorway to watch.

"Make way damn it!" The Rocket called at the people who wouldn't move for Luffy and his men. "That's the opponent!"

As if The Rocket was some sort of god, people moved much more easily for the captain and his crew. It didn't take much longer for Luffy to make his way to the center stage and place his feet on the concrete flooring. Both Zoro and Usopp placed themselves in seats next to Nami. Both men grinned at the girl, as if saying it was good to see her.

"What are you guys doing her?" she whispered.

"What else? To watch Luffy kill some guy we don't know," Zoro laughed.

"It's nice to see you too, Nami," Usopp was the only one who seemed upset by Nami's comment.

The mumbles of the crowd slowly began to die down, now seeing as both people were present and awaiting for them to silence. A small tiny thing of a man, the referee apparently, stood and placed both The Rocket and Luffy on opposite ends of the ring. There was no need for introducing the two, as the crowd didn't care. They just wanted to see their hero.

At the refs signal, which was him lifting his arm up and pulling it back down, a set of two men quickly ran up to each competitor and placed what appeared to be a board of wood in front of them.

"What are they doing?" Nami asked in a low tone of voice to Zoro as she watched all of this. "I thought they're supposed to be fighting."

"They are," Zoro began to explain. "Think of this as…um, an opening act. They have to break the boards to show off."

The Rocket didn't hesitate to show off in the least bit. Grinning at Luffy, whom he thought looked even more ridiculous than the last time he saw him, he took his mighty arm, raised it into the air, and chopped the board in two in a heartbeat. The crowd went wild.

"That doesn't seem all that hard," Usopp commented in a huff.

Luffy's turn, apparently, and he looked at The Rocket unimpressed. As if to prepare himself, Luffy did something rather odd and unexpected. With a swift movement of his arm, the young man ripped off his red vest shirt and threw it to the ground, rubbing his nose as he showed off his abs once more.

"Rule number fifty three," Luffy laughed at the silly rule but still believed in it very much so.

The Rocket stared just as unimpressed at Luffy and tried to show him with his expression that he would like the captain to hurry up now. He had things to do.

Nodding almost in reply, Luffy looked at the board that was held in front of him, took it from the hands of the people who were holding it, examined it one more time, and with his eyes filled with madness, took a bite out of the board. The crowd gasped and screamed at his actions as Luffy continued to chew the piece in his mouth and finally swallowing. He didn't hesitate, then, to gulp down the remaining piece.

The Rocket's eyes grew large not knowing if the man he was facing was indeed much stronger than he looked, or just really stupid. He quickly rearranged himself, however and continued to smirk down his opponent.

He wasn't so tough. Or so he told himself.

"Okay now," the ref, who saw the whole stunt and reacted very little towards it, squeaked. "I want a clean fight now."

And with that said, I bell dinged to signal the beginning of the match and the crowd went wild once more.

"So Nami," Usopp tried to sneak in quickly. "What do you see in that guy?"

"Gah, nothing," Nami frowned, crossing her arms. "He just has a lot of money."

"That's our Nami," Zoro grinned, kicking back and trying to enjoy the fight. The only problem was there was no fighting taking place.

"Come on and hit me!" The Rocket called to Luffy who just stood there. "You wanted to prove yourself suit man. Here's your chance."

"No," Luffy called back. "You come here."

Dumbfounded, The Rocket blinked and looked at the ref. The ref, in reply, just simply shrugged for he had no clue on what to do or what actions should be placed. It wasn't his fight.

"Okay then," hesitating at Luffy's awkwardness, The Rocket called once more. "You asked for it!"

Screaming, the mighty man held up his fist and ran towards the boy captain. His eyes were filled with a confused look but he tried to act confident. His standing opponent, however, found himself stretching back his arm, grinning wildly as The Rocket came towards him. The crowd once more making outbursts as Luffy's arm stretched an inhuman length.

"What the hell!" The Rocket slid to a stop and cried in his disbelief to what he saw. "You aren't normal!"

"Nope," was Luffy's reply as his arm came flying back and making contact with The Rocket's muscled gut. "Now good-bye."

The mighty blow caused The Rocket to suddenly not only feel as though the world had slipped through his fingers, but also fly spinning into the air, through the roof, and landing far away in who knows where.

There was a ghastly silence from the crowd as they watched their hero become airborne.

The ref, once more, was held unmoved and hurried over towards Luffy who simply stood there grinning. The tiny man of a ref quickly held up Luffy's arm into the air and cried out, "This is your winner!"

The crowd burst out in cheers from their sudden silence. Although their hero was just defeated by an unknown stranger, the sight of what just happened was truly amazing. Luffy quickly used their happiness to his advantage and waved his arms widely, crying out his thanks to them with a big smile on his face.

"Wow," Zoro grinned as he watched Luffy prance about in his victory.

"What is it?" Nami asked, she wasn't sure if she was happy with the outcome of the fight or not yet.

"Oh uh," the large swordsman looked over at the young girl and laughed just a little. "I just forget how strong Luffy is sometimes. That's all."

Nami blinked, looking at the dancing Luffy and quickly taking notice to something that fell out of his pocket during his merriment. Looking back and forth as if to check if the coast was clear, she reached out for the object, apparently a small card of some sort, and read the print it had on it.

'Love the strong man'.

"Yeah," Nami turned to Zoro, smiling almost as much as the easily victorious Luffy. "He sure is, isn't he?"

_End_


End file.
